Economic Plan Moves Forward

Economic Plan Moves Forward

Article excerpt

COFFS Harbour's economic strategy document has taken another step, with a majority of councillors endorsing the document.

This was in spite of reservations from councillors Garry Innes and Bob Palmer, who wanted to defer the matter to March.

As previously flagged, the councillors removed F2 - "council owned airport lands have been developed" from the Action Plan section of the strategy's F theme, Planning for Growth, on the grounds this was premature.

Cr Innes wanted to review the strategy and make it more concise and practical, saying as an employer and businessman he could see reductions in government spending in the offing and the "huge and onerous" economic strategy was predicated on what the previous government had been going to do.

"(Demographer) Bernard Salt admitted that some of what he said was quite wrong and the economic strategy follows a lot of what he said," Cr Innes said.

But the general manager Steve McGrath said the strategy had already been deferred twice for workshops and it had been developed in consultation with reference groups. …